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CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINAMovie Reviews
Action comedy tale of mistaken identity concerning a chef who's confused for a dangerous martial arts expert. Cast:Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Mithun Chakraborty, Ranvir Shorey, Gordon Liu, Roger YuanDirector:Nikhil AdvaniRelease Date:January 16, 2009DVD Release:May 5, 2009From:Warner Bros.Rating:PG-13Length:2 hr 34 min
MAY 5, 2009
Chandni Chowk to China, Moderate Reviews Key Cities
Chandni Chowk to China played in key cities to moderate reviews. • Cary Darling wrote in the Dallas Morning News, "...so energetic and cheesy that it's hard not to be charmed by it." • And Roger Moore wrote in the Orlando Sentinel, "...there isn't enough wit or wackiness to warrant the slow trudge through a plot we've seen in scores of earlier films." More Reviews Below...
Chandni Chowk to China Positive Reviews (28 Reviews, reviews below)
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...likable and entertaining but overlong... a comic action adventure starring Indian action star Akshay Kumar, whose physical humor brings to mind Jim Carrey."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 394 words, 01/16/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
Rachel Saltz, New York Times: GOOD "...the first Bollywood movie to be financed and distributed by Warner Brothers, starts too frantically but settles down to become an enjoyable if slight Saturday-matinee..."(See all of Rachel Saltz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 407 words, 01/16/09
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...stylish, slick and full of fun.... With musical numbers and fight scenes as big as its heart, director Nikhil Advani's action-comedy really does sample it all."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 129 words, 01/16/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "...will appeal to the large Indian audiences in North America and to Bollywood fans... I don't know a whole lot about Bollywood, but even I could name better possibilities."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 758 words, 01/15/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...can't help but connect occasionally with a winking gag, cleverly staged fracas, toe-tapping musical detour or welcome loitering on Deepika Padukone's radiant features."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 333 words, 01/16/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...fun but somewhat exhausting, with several elaborate production numbers, a bullet-proof umbrella that also serves as a parachute, a magical potato... over 2½ hours..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 238 words, 01/16/09
Stephen Cole, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...far from a seamless hybrid entertainment.... Then again, viewers may find that half the fun is tobogganing over the film's protruding seams."(See all of Stephen Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 458 words, 01/16/09
Dan Kois, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "...a combo platter of Bollywood excess and classic kung fu... a live-action Looney Tunes cartoon that lasts 154 minutes rather than just five... exhausting..."(See all of Dan Kois's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 312 words, 01/16/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "If 'Chandni Chowk to China' is any indication, a combination of Bollywood and kung-fu movies is something the world needed without even realizing it."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 01/16/09
Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "One thing is certain: To appreciate this scenic spectacle requires a leap of faith that will test even die-hard Bollywood fans."(See all of Jonathan Curiel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 01/16/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: WEAK(cg) "A sprawling slapstick martial-arts spoof and romantic melodrama... entertainingly goofy for about 30 minutes. And then, for the next two hours-plus, it's agony."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 272 words, 01/16/09
Michael Hardy, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "Americans may be overwhelmed by the dizzy mix of music, dancing, and kung fu... they should have no trouble appreciating the talent of this extraordinary entertainer."(See all of Michael Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 396 words, 01/16/09
Peter Schilling, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: POOR(cg) "If you're hungry for a good Bollywood musical, go to your local Indian market and ask for a DVD recommendation. Unfunny, baffling and exhausting, this should be avoided."(See all of Peter Schilling's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 174 words, 01/16/09
John Hartl, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "If you can get into the frenetic rhythm of the thing, it has its charms. An African sequel is promised/threatened."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 367 words, 01/16/09
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...bursting with the melodrama and musical numbers that made Bollywood famous.... an entertaining tale of a man who must find the hero in himself."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 168 words, 01/16/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: WEAK(cg) "...there isn't enough wit or wackiness to warrant the slow trudge... There simply isn't enough Indian spice to make this ancient Chinese recipe fresh."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 477 words, 01/15/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: WEAK(cg) "...has martial-arts montages and Bollywood song-and-dance numbers. As corny or tacky as the latter are, they're the sweet -- and only? -- draw of the movie."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 275 words, 01/16/09
Chris Wangler, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...raises production values to a new standard, with stunts by 'Crouching Tiger' maven Huen Chiu-Ku and more extras than the closing ceremonies of the Olympics..."(See all of Chris Wangler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 152 words, 01/15/09
Rachel Saltz, New York Times: GOOD "...the first Bollywood movie to be financed and distributed by Warner Brothers, starts too frantically but settles down to become an enjoyable if slight Saturday-matinee..."(See all of Rachel Saltz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 407 words, 01/16/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "...fitfully amusing... an unintentional tribute to Danny Boyle and his colleagues, who turned Bollywood's conventions to their own brilliant purposes in 'Slumdog Millionaire.' "(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 178 words, 01/16/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...can't help but connect occasionally with a winking gag, cleverly staged fracas, toe-tapping musical detour or welcome loitering on Deepika Padukone's radiant features."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 333 words, 01/16/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
John Anderson, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...everyone including Indians are mocked, derided, beaten, made to dance and where plotlines have more intersecting points than the U.S. highway system."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 709 words, 01/20/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...can't help but connect occasionally with a winking gag, cleverly staged fracas, toe-tapping musical detour or welcome loitering on Deepika Padukone's radiant features."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 333 words, 01/16/09
Rachel Saltz, New York Times: GOOD "...the first Bollywood movie to be financed and distributed by Warner Brothers, starts too frantically but settles down to become an enjoyable if slight Saturday-matinee..."(See all of Rachel Saltz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 407 words, 01/16/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "...fitfully amusing... an unintentional tribute to Danny Boyle and his colleagues, who turned Bollywood's conventions to their own brilliant purposes in 'Slumdog Millionaire.' "(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 178 words, 01/16/09
18.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Chandni Chowk to China's reviews are separated by an average 18.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Chandni Chowk to China (28 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Chandni Chowk to China's reviews cover 34.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 10,359 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 370 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Chandni Chowk to China Coverage, Volume & Length (28 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 4.0 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Chandni Chowk to China's reviews on average broke 4.0 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Chandni Chowk to China's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Chandni Chowk to China (28 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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